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Dive into the world of realism with Mark Twain's iconic novel "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." Discover how realism emerged as an outgrowth of the Civil War, forcing readers to confront the grim realities of society. Explore the themes of regionalism, dialects, and satire as portrayed in the novel, and unravel the controversy surrounding its depiction of racism. Join us to discuss key questions on individuality, societal norms, and racial issues still prevalent today.
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A New Era: Realism • Outgrowth of the Civil War. • Cannot romanticize the horrors of war. • Grim reality forces people to look at what is happening. • Concerned with the way things actually are. • Drawn to ordinary life • “Real People,” not heroes
Literature of the Era • Regionalism – Trying to capture the essence of a particular location • Dialects – Patterns of speech central to a location • Words and Style • Dialogue tries to capture the way people really speak
Satire • Satire = Writing style in which the author subtly makes fun of characters and society through their own ignorance. • Characters are not aware of the jokes. • Sometimes causes confusion: • Can be difficult to detect as a reader.
Mark Twain • Birth Name: Samuel Clemens. Born in Missouri in 1835. • As a young man, served briefly in the Confederate Army • Apprenticed on a steamboat – provides expertise for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Huck Finn Key Facts • Characters • Huck – 13. Uncivilized. • Tom Sawyer – Huck’s best friend. Adventurous. • Widow Douglas & Miss Watson – Huck’s adopted caregivers • Jim – Adult slave owned by Miss Watson • Setting –Missouri. Pre-Civil War
Huck Finn “All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.” Ernest Hemingway “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, is the most grotesque example of racist trash ever written.” John H. Wallace
The Controversy • Huck Finn has been banned in hundreds of schools, while praised as a classic in hundreds of others. • Controversy stems over racism in the novel. • N-word used 213 times • In addition to this slur, many instances of disparaging comments toward African-Americans.
Key Questions • Essential questions of this text: • How can an individual break free against society? • What racial problems do we see today in America? How can we address them?